Electhoplating and electrocleaning apparatus



A. NESS.

ELECTROPLATING AND ELECTROCLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22, 19m.

1,326,891. Patented Dec. 30,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A. NESS.

ELECTROPLAHNG AND ELECTROCLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22. 1919.

1,326,891. Patented Dec. 30,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1!! I I'm:munl mlg lll ANDREW NESS, OF GLASGOW, SCOTLAND.

ELECTROPLATING AND ELECTROCLEANING APPARATUS.

Application filed November 22, 1919.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Ax n'anw Nnss, a subjeot of the King of Great Britain, rcsidlng at Glasgow, Scotland, have invented new and useful ln'iprovements in Electroplating and Electrocleaning Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for electroplating and electrocleaning of the kind having a rotary drum wherein the articles are retained when the drum is rotated in one direction and are automatically ejected when the drum rotated in the reverse direction.

An apparatus made in accordance with this invention comprises a rotary drum provided at one end with a concentric a erture and provided internally with means a apted, when the drum is rotated in the one direction to lift articles placed therein and deliver them on to a tray introduced through the said aperture.

Referring to the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of one form of apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention and Fig. 2 is an end view thereof from the left hand end of Fig. 1, that part of Fig. 2 which lies to the right of the vertical center line being in full view and that part which lies to the left of said line being in cross section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

In one construction the improved machine consists of a drum a supported at one end by a bracket 1) on a shaft 0 so as to be overhung from a bearing or pedestal d. Rollers such as 0 may be provided on a frame 7 for supporting the other end of the drum a, but this will only be necessary in the larger sizes of the machine. The drum a is adapted to be rotated in either direction through suitable reduction gearing g and pulleys h and 7' controlled by a clutch 7t and a clutch shifter m.

The drum on is mounted so that its lower part is immersed in electrolyte contained in a tank a, all the bearings being out of the electrolyte, and a concentric aperture 0 is provided at the end of the drum opposite the gearing for the admission of the articles to be treated, said aperture being of such dimensions that part of it is always below the level of the electrolyte to allow the electrolyte in the tank a, and that contained in the portion of the drum a which is immersed, to be in direct communication and to allow Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 30, 1919.

Serial No. 339,930.

of the free circulation between the two. This central aperture 0 also gives passage to one end of a divided bar 2), supported by a cross bar 9, from which bar the anode r is suspended. The opposite end of the bar 1) is concentric with the drum a and is insulated by a cup 1) from, and supported in a recess in, the adjacent end of the shaft 0.

The anode 7', which is of segmental shape as shown in Fig. 2, is formed with ridges or corrugations as shown in Fig. 1 to increase the working surface, and is made in sections to facilitate removal, said sections being each provided with a T head 9" whereof the neck passes between the two parts of the bar p.

In order that during their introduction into the drum a and subsequently the articles to be treated shall not lodge on the top of the anode 7' an inclined or ridge-shaped cover 8 is provided, this being held in position by, but insulated from the anode-supporting bar p.

A series of longitudinally arranged bars t of substantially triangular cross-section are provided on the inside of the drum a, and run for substantially the full length thereof. The thick edges of the bars 15 e. the bases of the triangles, are intended to constitute scoops and may be made concave for this purpose. When the drum a is rotated with the thin edges of the bars 25 leading, (counter clockwise in Fig. 2), the said bars serve as agitators for thoroughly turning over and mixing the articles to be treated, but when rotated in the reverse direction, the thick edges of the bars 2 act as scoops and lift the articles out of the electrolyte to such a height, that they drop on to a chute u whence they pass automatically to a tray (not shown) introduced into the drum on through the central aperture 0 and supported above the level of the electrolyte by rollers such as '0 carried by the structure of the chute to.

In order to effect circulation of the electrolyte through the drum or, that end of the latter opposite the aperture 0 is provided exteriorly with a series of scoops w adjacent and leading to apertures 01 and serving, as the drum is rotated with the thin edges of the bars 12 leading, to scoop up electrolyte which passes into the drum a and escapes by the aperture 0.

That end of the anode supporting bar p which passes through the aperture 0 is connected with the positive pole of a source of electrical energy and the cathode is con stituted by a plurality of bolt-like members 3/ passing through the wall of the drum a with rounded heads projecting inside said 7 drum at intervals throughout 1ts surface so as to make direct contact with the articles under treatment, the outer ends of said members being connected with bands 3, encircling the outside of the drum a, while said bands 3 are connected by longitudinally disposed strips 4-, whereof the ends project radially inward, with the bracket 6 which is in electrical contact with the shaft 0, the latter being connected with the negative pole of the source of electrical energy by a brush device 5.

The apparatus of this invention is such that articles which have been treated can be removed from the drum without the necessity of emptying out the electrolyte as heretofore the removal of the articles being effected by merely reversing the direction of rotation of the drum, thus efifecting a very considerable saving of time when a batch of articles has been treated and a fresh batch is'to be inserted.

VJ hat I claim is 1. In an electroplating and electrocleaning apparatus of the character described, a

' senting on one side a substantially radial face constructed and arranged to lift the work and drop the same onto said work support upon rotation of the drum in one direction, and each bar presenting on its opposite side a face non-radial and substantially inoperative to lift the work upon rotation of the drum in the opposite direction together with an anode supported centrally I within said drum and cathode connections J: at the inner periphery of said drum whereby during rotation in one direction the work will be lifted and delivered to said support and upon rotation in the opposite direction the work will be tumbled.

2. In an electroplating and electrocleaning apparatus of the character described a rotary tumbler drum having at 1ts inner periphery cathode connections and longitudinally extending bars of triangular crosssection each presenting faces at difi'erent angles, the faces presented in one direction extending substantially radially of the drum and constructed and arranged to lift the work to the upper portion of the interior of the drum and drop it, when the drum is rotated in one direction, a work support positioned to receive the workwhen so dropped and an anode centrally positioned within said drum.

3. In an electroplating and electrocleaning apparatus of the character described a rotary tumbler drum having at its inner periphery cathode connections and longitudinally extending bars of triangular crosssection each presenting faces at different angles, the faces presented in one direction extending substantially radially of the drum and constructed and arranged to lift the work to the upper portion of the interior of the drum and drop it, when the drum is rotated in one direction, a work support positioned to receive the work when so dropped and an anode centrally positioned within said drum presenting downwardly an armate face lying parallel to the inner periphcry of said drum.

4. In an electroplating and electrocleaning apparatus of the character described a rotary tumbler drum having at its inner periphery cathode connections and longitudinally extending bars of triangular crosssection each presenting faces at difierent angles, the faces presented in one direction extending substantially radially of the drum and constructed and arranged vto lift the work to the upper portion of the interior of the drum and drop it, when the drum is rotated in one direction, a work support positioned to receive the work when so dropped, an anode centrally positioned within said drum, and a guard supported above said anode and arranged to prevent work falling onto said anode.

ANDREW NES'S, 

